Combined insole and arch support



June 2, 1931. O GREGAREK 1,808,461

COMBINED INSOLE AND ARCH SUPPORT Filed April 21, 195o IMI/'T012 Patented June 2, 1931 UNITED STAT-ss moana OTTO GREGAREK, 0F PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA COMBINED INSOLE D ARCH SUPPORT Application led April 21,

My invention relates to new and useful improvements in a combined insole and arch support, and has for one of its objects to construct a device of this character in sucha manner that the arch support is carriedby the insole either as an integral partthereof or as a'separate elementsecured to the insole by stitches, an adhesive or other suitable means.

Another object of the invention is to so fashion the device that it may b e produced entirely of felt and of such'deslgn or configuration that it will develop` the proper medial tread, namely, a tread from the center of the heel on a substantially straight line forward through the great toe, thus bringing' the bones of the foot in proper alignment and giving effective support to the arch.

A further object of the invention is to construct a device of the kind described in which f the arch support element has its edges skived inwardly and upwardly toward the insole element so that when in use, portions of the insole will be depressed or deflected in accordance with the inclination of the skive and foll lowing the outlineof the arch support element.

A still further object of the invention is to produce an article of manufacture inthe form of a combined insole and arch support so fashioned that the arch supporting element depends from the insole element vwith spaces between the edges of the arch supporting elef ment and the under face ofthe insole element i produced by forming inclined or sklved portions contiguous the under face ofthe 'insole element around or along all of the edgesof the arch supporting element.

Vith these ends in view, this invention consists in the details of construction and combination of elements hereinafter set forth and then specifically designated by the claims.

In order that those skilled in the art to which this invention appertains may understand how to make and use the same, I will describe its construction in detail, referring by numerals-to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this application, in which Fig. l is an inverted plan view of the comn and from the rearend and on that sideV of the 1930.A serial No. 445,848. f

bined insole and arch support constructed in accordance with my invention and with the outlines of the bones of a foot illustrated in connection therewith in dotted lines, the device herein shown being the one for use with the left foot. f Y

Fig. 2 is a section on the line 2 2 ofFig. l illustrating the device in the position while in use.

Fig. 3 is a section on the line 3-3 of Fig. l. 69

Fig. 5 is atop plan view of the arch sup- 65 port element as it would look separated'from the insole element if severed from the latter n in approximately the line 5 5 ofF ig. 2.

In carrying out my invention as herein embodied, 9 represents a combined insole and 7 arch support produced from suitable soft and compressible material, preferably felt, and including an insole l0 of proper shape to lit snugly within a shoe and an arch support l1 of unique configuration and said arch support is carried by the insole and depends from the under face of the latter.

In actual practice, the arch support can be any actual integral part of the insole by fashioning the two elements from a section of Inai terial of sufficient thickness to include the thickness of both elements in the finished article'or they may be manufactured as separate elements and'afterwards fastened or, secured together s o as to becometo all intents and 8 purposes; integral with each other. This can be done by gluing or cementing, Yby stitching or otherwise fastening the arch support to the under side of the insole or a blank may be built up to provide a centralportion ofone thickness surrounded by a flange of another thickness and said blank afterwards fashioned according to the structural details to be presently described.

fllhebody of the arch support 1l extends 95* lengthwise ofthe insole 10 in the'region of the longitudinal center of the insole and in the locality ofthe position assumed the arch v of Ya wearers foot when the device is in usev insole upon which the small toe of the foot rests, the arch support is provided with an extension 12 which projects to the edge of the insole and the rear portion of the support including this extension is skived at a greatly increasing angle from the outer edge of the extension to thesopposite edge-of thesupport as indicated: at 13`and said skiving, produces an inclined surface on the arch support which surface projects inwardly and upwardly as clearly shown in Fig. 2. l

I wish to state at this time that allrof the skiving referred to herein'willw bel'sim'ilar to that just mentioned so that the inclined S1112-,

faces are all between the under face of the Y insole and thebody of the supporter generf ally it might be said that the inclinedsurfaces becoming the Yupper faces ofthe support when the device is considered as a finished article.- On the internal side near the forward end of the support is formed an extension 111' which projects beneath the forward end ofthe firstQmetatarsal bone and on the external sidel is formed an extension 15 which projects un- Vde'r the forward end 'of the fifth metatarsal bone and theforward end of the support is slightly curved convexly'so as to'underlie the anterior arch.

Both the internal and external sides as well Y as the forward end of the support are-skived as indicated at 16, 17 and 18-respectively in the manner above describedor inwardly and upwardly fromthe edgesof the support. rIlhe rear portion of the supportincluding theexif' tension 12 is intended to supportthe posterior arch comprising the Vinternal cuneiform, middle cuneiforni, external-cune-iform and cuboid bonesk and because of the skiving, the' insole element in the region oftherearedge of the support element willfol'low the Adown-y wardly and outwardly inclined portion of said support element so as to :provide a'blending surface from an'elevatedlevel toa lower level at the heel, thereby Atendingto' hold the foot inproper position'within thel shoe.

frontend of the foot.`

The point blendingV between the skiving' 18 with the slrivingA 17y is intendedto extend between the joint ofthe-big toe and the joint i, ofthe secondtoe so as toproperlyfpositionfA these joints and prevent crowding'which it isl .l essential to maintain the-proper tread. A support'made-as above described will` develop ythe proper-l media-lr 4tread fr'omfthe center offthe heel-lona straightlinelforward` ,including the. great: toe, thusbringingtheY Y bonesof thexfo'ot'in'properaligmnentandiin proper elevations relative to each other to advantageously support the posterior, longitudinal and anterior arches including the metatarsal arch.

The device being made entirely of suitable compressible or yielding material, preferably .felt, provides a soft resilient or yieldingtread to the-foot throughout and yetv gives sufficient support to the arch to keep the bones in proper relative positions. The devicewalsefbeing 'offfcompressible or yielding material avoids any hard pressure upon the under side Aofthe front and tends to prevent or remedy foot ailments. The device also being absorbent will take up perspiration so as to 'prevent ,or lessen the likelihood of disagreeableL odors -since such device maybe readilyl removed, for cleansinV and airing, It` alsoY corrects the position of the bones of the foot-and prevents friction between Athe foot'and shoe Tor other actions .which tendvto` Vform callouses so .that where devices of this kindare used, the wearers foot is generally free to such growths.

Of course I do not wish to be limited tothe exact deta-ils of yconstruction as herein shown,-

as these may be varied with-in the limits off Vthe appended claims lwithoutdepartingfrom the, spirit of my invention.

Havingthus fully described my invention, whatV I claim as `newjanduseful is 1. A device'of the kind described compris# ing an integral structure consisting of an.V

insole, an arch support on thev under side of the insole, said support ihavingan extension projectingtoward the external side of the insoleat the rear endt of thesupport, another exftensionnear-the forward end projectingon the-interiory side of the support andthe forward end: ofjsaid Ysupport being curved convexlyand all the edges except the-outer end ofthe rst mentioned extension being... skived to f provide; inclined' sur-faces proj ect- V ing; inwardly and upwardly, saidy inclined surfaces being'contiguous the under `surface of the insole' so that when in use said insole wiljlbeI inclined toward-its edges. Y

2'. The structure set forth in claim 1in colmbinationwithV a third extension projecting from the external sidei ofthesupport nearV the-forwardend.A

Inritestimony whereof,` I have hereunto aflixed my signature A Y Y Y f OTTOv GrREGrAREK.V 

